MONTVALE—Local voters will decide the fate of a $29.4 million bond referendum to enhance school facilities, upgrade heating and air conditioning, and renovate and add restrooms — all to help maintain small class sizes — on Tuesday, Dec. 14 from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m.
A pot of $7.2 million in state aid for the project is possible only with a successful referendum, district officials and Mayor Michael Ghassali said in separate appeals.
Mail-in ballots must be postmarked by Dec. 14, or hand-delivered to the county offices that day during business hours. Mail-in ballots cannot be submitted at the in-person polls.
In addition to the mail-in option, Montvale will have two in-person polling places open from 6 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Dec. 14:
- Voting districts #1–3 at the Senior Community Center, 1 Memorial Drive.
- Voting district #4 at the 2nd Floor Council Chambers of the Montvale Municipal Complex, 12 Mercedes Drive.
Public school officials, including superintendent Dr. Darren Petersen and Board of Education President Ernie DiFiore, have held a virtual forum, and spoken at multiple public events to promote the need to upgrade schools.
Petersen said, “In the months leading up to the vote, the district offered many opportunities for residents to learn about the proposal and what the improvements would mean for the schools and community. Those efforts included a postcard mailed to every household, volunteers stationed at places where residents gathered, an informative website with extensive FAQs, a 4-minute video, attended several meetings (Montvale Senior Club, Mayor & Council, PTO, MEF, District, etc.) and a virtual Info Session that was recorded for future viewing.”
He added, “Pascack Press has published several articles [and] Mayor Mike Ghassali has included information in his e-newsletter, and we have partnered with social media accounts that have a broad audience in Montvale.”
Ghassali told residents the Board of Education sought input from the community during a strategic planning process in 2019, “then scaled back the original list of ideal improvements.”
The referendum reflects the community goals of small class sizes and facilities to meet future education needs, he said:
- Five new classrooms at Memorial Elementary, and re-purposing of space at Fieldstone Middle;
- STEAM Labs at both schools to blend the disciplines of science, technology, engineering, art, and math;
- Redesigned Media Center at Fieldstone, including an ADA-compliant entrance;
- Renovated restrooms in the schools, and the addition of a stand-alone restroom next to the athletic fields at Fieldstone;
- Also at both schools: More energy efficient HVAC systems; new boilers; upgraded classroom doors and locksets; and upgraded fire alarm systems.
State aid in the balance
According to Petersen, state $7.2 million in referendum-only state aid “comes from taxes collected from across New Jersey, but it is only shared with school districts where voters approve [school] bonds.”
He said, “Without this strategic budget move, important improvements such as routine replacement of building systems and renovation of classrooms would fall 100% on local taxes.”
Petersen said if the bond is approved, state aid is provided year by year, as if the state is helping to make the payments.
“After that state aid is factored in, the property tax impact is estimated to be about $325 per year for a home assessed at Montvale’s average [$524,788],” he said.
Old debt retired
The school district recently finished paying off debt that voters approved 20 years ago to build the Memorial kindergarten wing and gym, Petersen said.
For the average home, the annual payment on that had gradually declined to about $100 until it was paid off this year, he said.
For more information on the referendum, including finances, visit montvalek8.org/future.
